[1864:] This theme
requires some introduction. That is, the poet needed a Messenger.
But he feared that the Messenger might fall in love with the beloved. One
friend of this lover's brought a person, and told the lover, 'this man is
steadfast and highly trustworthy; I vouch for him, that he won’t play such
a trick'. Well, a letter was sent through his hand. As fate would have it,
the lover’s suspicion proved true. The messenger, seeing the addressee, became
distracted and crazed with love. What letter, what answer? He went mad, tore
his clothing, set out for the wilderness. Now the lover, after this event
has happened, says to his friend, God knows the hidden; what does anyone know
about what’s inside anyone else? Oh my friend, there's nothing said against
you. But if you see the Messenger anywhere, then give him my greetings: 'well,
sir, after making such a number of claims of not becoming a lover, you became
one; and indeed, what was the result?'. (Arshi 312)

He says, oh friend, we have no great complaint or grievance
against you. Although indeed, the Messenger whose praises you sang so loudly,
and who claimed as he set off that he would certainly bring a reply to the
letter-- so far he hasn't shown his face, and out of shame he's gone into
hiding somewhere. If you meet him, then give him my greetings. The meaning
is, complain against him a little, and make him embarrassed. (228)

Oh companion, I have no complaint against you; but indeed,
if you meet the Messenger, then give him my greetings. That is, 'if the beloved
gave no answer, then why did you flee from me? Bravo! You carried out my task
very well!' (306)

FWP:

This is what I call a 'word' verse, in which the multiple
meanings of some one single word energize and unify the whole verse. Here
the word is obviously kalaam , which is positioned with
fine flair right in the middle of the first line, and resonates with kahyo in the second line. (The way kalaam is so precisely echoed by salaam is also an enjoyable sound effect.) The speaker speaks to his friend-- in order to tell him he doesn't want to speak with him. He speaks to him in order to make the friend himself a speaker-- an oral messenger to the (written-letter-bearing) Messenger.

In a verse about trust and
untrustworthiness, about written letters and oral messages, about complaints
and greetings, every meaning and overtone of kalaam (see the definition above) works beautifully, and enhances our enjoyment of the verse. In particular, kisii se kalaam karnaa can mean either 'to hold discourse with someone', or 'to have an objection, etc., against someone'. Thus on the first reading, the first phrase becomes something like 'I have nothing to say to you' (because my message is only for the Messenger); on the second reading, it becomes 'I have no quarrel with you' (but I do with the Messenger). In either case, the tone of voice (friendly? hostile? neutral? wryly amused?) will provide a further range of interpretive suggestions.

It's thus very markedly a verse of implication,
and we're fortunate to have Ghalib himself explain what he means (with unusual
intricacy) to imply. In his careful explication, Ghalib refers
first to 'the poet', then later to 'the lover', in a way that completely identifies
them with each other. His third-person references also make it entirely clear
that neither one of these abstract personages is to be identified with himself.

Ghalib does not explain his prominent wordplay with kalaam
. Why not? My theory: because his correspondent is not a leading light of
literary subtlety, and has been having (the usual?) trouble getting any sense
out of the verse (or out of several others, including the not-so-difficult
{115,6}). Ghalib good-naturedly gives him
the 'meaning' that he's asked for, but doesn't feel obliged to provide an
exhaustive discussion. In only one of the four verses explained in that letter
({62,9}) does he discuss the wordplay; and
indeed that one is so simple there's not much else to discuss.